Roadway



A. TJNEWELL.

ROADWAY.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 3|. I921.

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Patented Nov. 28, 1922.

A. T. NEWELL.

ROADWAY. APPLICATION FILED MAY 31. 1921.

1,436,896. Patented v- 28, 1922.

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1 W 1w 15 141 v Qwuewlfoz Patented Nov. 28, 1922.

ALFRED T. NEVI'ELL, 01 BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

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Application filed May 31,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, ALFRED T. NnwnLL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Birmingham, in the county of Jellerson and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Roadways, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to paving, and especially to a concrete paving or road, distinguished by novelty in particulars hereinafter pointed out.

()ominon methods oi building roads at present include so-called brick roads, in which a great number of small bricks or blocks are laid on a prepared bed or foundation either with or without intervening cement or adhesive material. The objection to this type of road arises from the cost oi laying the same, since manual labor has to be employed in setting the bricks or blocks in place as well as in constructing curbings and gutters at the sides. A. further objection arises from the large number of joints which permit water to leak thru and either unldermine the sections of the road or disintegrate the same from the effect of frost. Further objections to so-called brick roads are known to road builders, but the roughness of said roads after a certain amount of wear may be mentioned.

Another common road is the so-called concrete road in which a layer of concrete is placed on a bed, the concrete being mixed and moldedas the work progresses, at or adjacent to the place where it is laid. This requires a portable mixing outfit and also erection of forms at the sides. Such roads wear comparatively well, but are costly, and are very subject to cracking which lets 1n frost and makes bad breaks by the pounding of the traiiic on the cracks.

The object of the present invention is to avoid the objections incident to the torego ing and other types of roads, and it embodies the production or formation of relatively large concrete slabs, which may be constructed at plant somewhat distant :l'rom the place Where they are laid and transported by power devices, the slabs being so large that only a few joints are formed and being of such weight and area that small sections thereof are not apt to collapse or be undermined, as with brick roads.

It is intended that the road shall preferably consist oif two lines of slabs, of sufiicient 1921. Serial N0. 473,698.

width to meet at the middle line of the road and sufficient length to avoid a great many transverse joints. These slabs are fitted together and interlocked by concrete dowels or dovetails, and each slab shall be reiniorced by metal bars embedded therein, some of the bars being so located as'to assist in tornnng and strengthening the bonds at the joints. A further feature of the structure is that the curbing and gutters are produced at the outer edge of the slabs, and no separate parts for these are necessary. A further feature oi the invention is that the transverse joints are on diagonal lines across the road so that vehicle wheels strike the joint one at time. Other features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings in which Fig. l is a plan of the road constructed of the slabs. Fig. 2 is a side edge elevation of one of the slabs. Fig. 3 is an end elevation at the middle line. Fig. 4C is a bottom plan of one of the slabs.

As stated, these slabs will preferably be made of concrete at a central plant and each slab may weigh a ton or more. They will be transported to the location and laid by means of power derricks or the like. The top surface 6 of each slab is of sufficient width to cover one-hall. the width of the road, that is from the curb line to the middle line, and in order to formthe crown of the road the slab is made thicker at the inner end or middle line, and terminating in a gutter 7 and a curb 8, thus producing all these parts in a single slab.

The bottom of the slab is provided with a plurality of grooves 9 which extend substantially cross-wise of the road, and when the slabs are laid on a prepared bed the ribs between the grooves will sink into the bed and form a bond therewith which will tend to prevent side shift of the slabs.

An important feature of the present improvement is that the slabs are formed with oblique angles, the ends of the slabs being parallel with the line of the road while the sides of the slab are at an oblique angle thereto, similar to the slabs described in the iormer application, but with this improvement, that in the present invention the inclination of" the side lines is backwardly from the curb line to the middle line. Stated in other words, the slabs which are laid on the right hand half or side of the road incline backwardly toward the middle of the road. This has the effect that under the thrust of traction, which as a rule will follow the right hand side of the road, the angular thrust of the slabs will have a tendency to shift the slabs inwardly toward the middle line, instead of outwardly toward the curb, consequently the road tract-ion will tend to keep the ends of the slabs together at the middle line and to prevent separation at the joints. -This manner of constructing and laying the slabs also has the advantage that it will tend to prevent skidding, since the joints at the side edges 10 will tend to throw a vehicle toward the crown or middle line, and this will be of particular advantage when the roadway is wet or slippery.

A further improvement in the present invention consists in the manner of making the oints or bonds between the slabs. These joints are made by dove-tailed or undercut recesses 11 at the corners of the slabs, so at the middle line the corners of four slabs meet, and are joined by means of concrete poured in the cross-shaped recesses so produced, as indicated at 12, and at the curb line two of the recesses are connected by concrete bonds poured in asindicated at 13. This manner of bonding the slabs I consider superior to the recesses in the sides as shown in the former application.

When the slabs are molded a suflicient or desired number of reinforcing bars or rods will be imbedded therein, some of which are indicated at 14-, and, preferably, some of these bars will extend across the recesses 11, as shown at 15, so that they will be seized or engaged by the bonds poured in the recesses 11, thereby assisting in strengthening the bonds and locking the slabs together. Before being bonded the slabs can be wired together securely, by wires 17 thus forming a metallic tie as well as a concrete bond.

The reinforcing bars exposed at these recesses will also be of advantage in handling and laying the slabs. As stated, they will preferably be handled by power derricks or the like erected on traction vehicles, and the hooks of the derricks may be hooked into the bars exposed at the recesses 11 and so lifted and deposited in the particular place where they are to be laid, the hooks being engaged with the bars in the recesses so that the slabs can be drawn up close together by the power devices before the hooks are disengaged, with little or no necessity for manual shifting. 1

After the slabs are laid concrete or the like will be run into the recesses ll to form the bonds, and the joints between the slabs will preferably be filled with pitch, tar or similar substance, which will act as expansion joints, and the entire surface of the slabs will preferably be covered with a coating of the same, or other bituminous material to form a water proof surface.

A roadway constructed of large slabs as above indicated will have the advantage that it is not liable to disintegration in consequence of frost, nor to the formation of holes or pockets, the slabs being of such large area that small or local settlements or pockets in the bed will not result in any surface changes or disturbance, as often occurs in roads made of relatively small bricks or blocks. The road will have all the advantages of a permanent highway without the disadvantages incident to cracking or irregular breaks commonly met with in concrete roadways.

The manner of laying the slabs so that traction along the right hand side of the road will tend to shift the slabs toward the middle or crown of the road has manifest advantages, as referred to above, as the slabs will press toward each other both at the middle line and at the transverse joints and this action is assisted by the inclination of the ribs between the grooves 9 on the bottom of the slabs. The constant tendency, therefore, is for the slabs to maintain tight joints with each other.

The invention is not limited to the particular form shown, but obviously many changes may be made within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A. roadway consisting of slabs of an area sufficiently large to extend from the crown of the road to the edge thereof, the side edges of the slabs extending obliquely across the road and inclining backwardly from the edge of the road toward the middle line thereof.

2. A roadway consisting of slabs of an area sufliciently large to extend from the crown of the road to the edge thereof, the side edges of the slabs extending obliquely across the road and inclining backwardly from the right edge of the road toward the middle line thereof.

3. A roadway consisting of two rows of slabs, each slab of each row extending from the middle line of the road to the edge thereof, the side edges of the slabs extendllO ing obliquely across the road and inclining backwardly from the right edge of the road toward the middle line thereof.

a. A roadway consisting of concrete slabs of large area, the inner and outer edges of each slab being parallel to the line of the road and the side edges of the slabs being oblique to said line, whereby the transverse joints between the slabs extend obliquely across the road, said oints inclining backwardly from the right hand edge of the road toward the middle line thereof.

5. A roadway consisting of concrete slabs laid in rows along the road, the corners of the slabs having recesses, and bonds in said recesses, between the slabs.

6. A roadway consisting of concrete slabs, each slab being of sufficient size to extend from the middle line of the road to the edge thereof, the meeting corners of the slabs having registering recesses, and bonds in said recesses, between the slabs.

7. A concrete paving slab having ribs and grooves in the under side thereof adapted to interlock with the roadbed, said ribs and grooves extending obliquely across the bed and being inclined backwardly from the right hand edge of the slab toward the left band edge.

8. A concrete paving slab of suflicient area to extend from the middle line to the curb line of a roadbed', said slab having oblique angles and inner and outer edges parallel to the middle line, and grooves in the under side of the slab extending baclrwardly at an angle from the outer edge to the inner edge,

9. A roadway consisting of concrete slabs having registering recesses in their meeting edges, reinforcing bars extending across said recesses, ties connecting the bars oi adjacent slabs, and bonds in said recesses, between the slabs.

10. A roadway consistin of preformed concrete slabs of an area s1 ciently large to extend from the crown oi? the road to the edge thereof, the slab increasing in thickness from the outer to the inner edge, whens-by the crown is formed.

11. A road way consisting o't preformed concrete slabs laid in two rows, each slab of each row extending from the middle line at the road to the respective thereof and decreasing in thickness troin the middle line to the edge, whereby she crown formed.

12. A roadway consisting of preformed concrete slabs laid in two rows, each slab of each row extending from the middle line of the road to the respective edge thereoi :1 decreasing in thickness from the middle line to the edge, whereby the crown is form and the side edges of the slabs extending toliquely across the road.

13. A preformed concrete roadway slab of sutficient size to extend from the middle the road to the edge thereof and capable of vehicular transportation from the place where made to the place where laid, said slab having a level bottom adapted to be laid on a fiat roadbed, and a cambered top surface iiorining a part of the crown of the roadway, and also having means at its edges wher by it may be tied to adjacc slabs.

ii. .5 roadway consisting of preformed concrete slabs laid in two rows, each slab of each row extending fromthe middle line of the road to the respective edge thereof and decreasing in thickness from the middle line to the edge, whereby the crown is formed, and each slab having a curb formed integral therewith at the outer edge thereof.

15. A roadway consisting o1 preformed concrete slabs of large area, laid in rows along the road, each slab decreasing in thickness from it inner edge to its outer edge, the meeting edges of the slabs having recesses, and bonds in said recesses, between the slabs.

16. A roadway of preformed concrete each slab being of sufficient size to e10 tend from the middle line of the road to the edge thereof, the abutting edges the slabs having registering recesses, and bonds in said recesses, between the slabs.

17. A paving concrete slab having a curb formed integral therewith and increasing in thickness from the curb edge to the opposite edge.

18. A concrete paving slab having parallel end edges adapted to lie parallel with the middle line oi the road and other parallel side edge an oblique angle to said edges, said slab decreasing in thickness from the in ner end edge to the outer end edge.

19. A concrete paving slab having recesses at its ec ges adapted to register with recesses in adjacent slabs, and reinforcements in slabs exposed at said recesses within the outer line of the edgeof the slab for engage ment with bonds placed in said recesses.

20. A. concrete paving slab having ribs and grooves in the under side thereof adapted to interlock with the road bed, said ribs and grooves extending entirely across the slab.

21. concrete paving slab of suiiicient area to extend from the middle line to the curb line of a road bed, said slab having oblique ai'iglcs, and inner and outer edges parallel to the middle line, and grooves in the under side of the slab at oblique angles to said edges.

22. roadway consisting of preformed concrete slabs the edges of which form oblique angles to each other, the slabs being of suilicient area to extend from the middle line of the road to the curb line and of decreasing thickness from the said middle line to the curb line, said slabs when laid forming a joint at the middle line oi": the road and diagonal transverse joints, and interlocking bonds between the slabs at said joints 28. A concrete roadway paving slab having a level bottom adapted to be laid on a flat roadbed, and a top surface cambered from the inn er end to the outer or gutter end and thereby forming a part of the crown of the roadway, the bottom surface having grooves extending from the inner to the outer ends.

in testimony whereof, I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED T. NEWELL.

l Vitnesses:

M. A. STRAUss, N. S. NEwnLL. 

